- National Instruments announced a real-time 5G New Radio (NR) test UE offering.
- The NI Test UE offering features a 3GPP Release 15 non-standalone (NSA) compliant system capable of emulating the operation of end-user devices or user equipment (UE).
Based on the PXI Express platform, the NI Test UE offering aims to test prototypes in the lab and in the field to evaluate them on service operators’ networks. In addition, it allows to perform InterOperability Device Testing (IoDT), which is a critical part of the commercialization process to ensure that network equipment works with UE from any vendor and vice versa.
The NI Test UE offering can also be used to perform benchmark testing to evaluate the capabilities of commercial and precommercial micro-cell, small-cell and macro-cell 5G NR gNodeB equipment.
Spirent has worked with NI to add 5G NR support to its existing portfolio of products. “As 5G was picking up steam, we looked to find a 5G NR platform that would outperform the market today and continue to do so as the 5G market matures,” said Clarke Ryan, senior director of Product Development at Spirent. “As a leader in SDR-based radios since 2011, NI was the natural choice to ensure we have the best radio with the best testing capabilities to stay ahead of the curve for our customers.”
The NI Test UE offering provides a flexible system for evaluating 5G technology. Customers can use the SDR front ends to select the sub-6 GHz frequency of their choice. The system scales up to one 100 MHz bandwidth component carrier and can be configured for up to 4×2 MIMO to achieve a maximum throughput of 2.3 Gb/s.
The 5G NR Release 15 software includes protocol stack software that can connect with a 5G gNodeB while providing real-time diagnostic information. Users can log diagnostic information to a disk for post-test analysis and debugging and can view it on the software front panel for a real-time visualization of the link’s performance.
# Main features:
- Fully 3GPP Release 15 NSA-compliant software capable of
completing a full attach - 4×2 MIMO configuration for 5G NR
- 2×2 MIMO LTE anchor for options 3x and 3a
- User-selectable center frequency between 500 MHz and 6 GHz
- Cabled or over-the-air functionality
- UE-compliant RF transmit power
level (optional) - Hard case for transport (optional)